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Not All Sprawl: Evolution of Employment Concentrations in Los Angeles, 1980-2000

Author

Listed:
  • Genevieve Giuliano
  • Christian Redfearn
  • Ajay Agarwal
  • Chen Li
  • Duan Zhuang

Abstract

Are contemporary metropolitan regions becoming more dispersed? There are theoretical arguments for both concentration and dispersal. The purpose of our research is to establish an empirical base that can help us understand the evolution of metropolitan spatial structure. Using data for the Los Angeles region from 1980, 1990 and 2000, we identify employment centers and describe spatial trends in the pattern of employment inside and outside these centers. Our findings point to three trends: 1) a remarkable degree of stability in the system of centers; 2) a marked spread in the average distance of jobs from the traditional core; 3) emergence and growth of suburban employment centers. Thus decentralization is not simply dispersion, but rather both deconcentration and concentration. These trends appear to defy simple models of urban evolution and call for a more nuanced portrayal of the dynamics underlying these trends

Suggested Citation

  • Genevieve Giuliano & Christian Redfearn & Ajay Agarwal & Chen Li & Duan Zhuang, 2005. "Not All Sprawl: Evolution of Employment Concentrations in Los Angeles, 1980-2000," Working Paper 8589, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
  • Handle: RePEc:luk:wpaper:8589
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    Cited by:

    1. Gary Painter & Cathy Yang Liu & Duan Zhuang, 2007. "Immigrants and the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis: Employment Outcomes among Immigrant Youth in Los Angeles," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(13), pages 2627-2649, December.
    2. Pascale Joassart‐Marcelli, 2007. "Closing the gap between places of work and residence: The role of rental housing assistance in southern California," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 107-144, January.
    3. Bumsoo Lee, 2006. "'Edge' or 'Edgeless Cities'? Urban Spatial Structure in US Metropolitan Areas, 1980 to 2000," Working Paper 8574, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
    4. Ivan Muñiz & Miquel Àngel Garcia-López & Anna Galindo, 2008. "The Effect of Employment Sub-centres on Population Density in Barcelona," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(3), pages 627-649, March.
    5. Du T. HUYNH, 2014. "The Effects Of Clustering On Office Rents: Empirical Evidence From The Rental Office Market In Ho Chi Minh City," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 9(1), pages 5-26, February.
    6. Bumsoo Lee, 2007. "“Edge” Or “Edgeless” Cities? Urban Spatial Structure In U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1980 To 2000," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 479-515, August.

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